User Guide

Strong opinions, weakly held. Show passion.

I speak my first draft; sometimes this comes across as rough or harsh

I inherently trust you and your work, until you give me a reason not to - then my trust is hard to regain

Stories drive alignment and clarity

I see levels of abstraction in almost everything

Outside knowledge (particularly reading and podcasts) significantly shapes my thinking

My time, above all else. To elaborate on some related points:

• I expect you to value your time as much as I value mine

• Meetings must have a clear purpose and ruthless focus on this purpose

• Never "give me back" time if we finish "early" - it wasn't yours to begin with

• Always be punctual

Transparency - default to open

Constantly deprecate and re-summarize information

"Pull, don't push" and the corollary to "ask for feedback, not permission"

Just because it has always been done that way doesn't mean it's the only way

Not taking ownership and pride in your work; I don't give pats on the back for just "doing your job"

Poor execution, follow-through, and any failure to "close the loop" on a topic or next action

Not owning and valuing your own time

Multi-tasking: it's binary; either be here or don't be here

Roles and Responsibilities being discussed as something we don't collaboratively control

When do you really need a response?

• Call: this hour

• Text/Slack/IM: Before tomorrow morning

• Email: Within 36 hours

Generally, written information > verbal information, but:

• My bar for the polish of written content is sometimes unfairly high

• When I write something, it often ends up overly detailed

Scheduled meetings are a tool; use them right:

• Just you and I? Ping me or tap me on the shoulder instead.

• Always include an agenda and read-ahead materials in advance so I can come prepared. I'll expect everyone to have read them too.

I'm a big fan of video chat

Close the loop when I ask for something by responding so I know that the next action is being taken

If you think I'm not listening or understanding well, try writing your point down

Open a dialogue if I'm stepping on your toes - I get passionate and don't always realize you have it handled

Make sure any written agreement between us accurately reflects the conversation, and that you understand it

Write something like this user guide and show me - help me understand what your values and style are

Even if I call out a problem or criticize a reality, I am not asking for it to be solved right now; sometimes just identifying an issue is enough for the time being

I explicitly express gratitude or thanks when you've exceeded my expectations, but that doesn't mean I'm not thankful for your contributions every day